Number Eight {The Umbrella Academy} -- [On Hold]

Thirteen

Klaus had decided, after waiting in Vivian's room for several hours with Ben, that it was going to take time for her spirit to make its way to him, and there was no use sitting around until it did.

"Don't you want to be there when she comes?" Ben asked, watching Klaus as he exited their sister's bedroom.

"She'll probably turn up wherever I am, like you did." Klaus had a bottle of booze stolen from the girl's bedside table clutched loosely in his left hand, letting the one covered with Vivian's dried blood swing at his side.

Ben glanced at the bed, and the body resting in it, then pulled himself off of the wall and followed Klaus down the hallway.

"She's probably going to want me to talk to everyone for her, isn't she?"

"I did," Ben noted with a pointed look.

"I stand by my actions! Dad would have made me train until I was on my deathbed to get you back." 

The pair left the hallway, and came across Pogo. The chimpanzee was standing by the balcony, flipping through a folder stuffed to the brim with paper.

"Master Klaus, I-"

"You're sorry for my loss, thanks, I'd like to go get something stronger to numb the pain now." Klaus lifted the bottle to his lips, took a swig, and moved to go downstairs. As he went past his former mentor, Pogo spoke up.

"I was going to say that Miss Vivian isn't quite dead."

Klaus spun on his heels, and stared at the chimpanzee.

"What?" Ben and Klaus were synchronized in their confusion.

"Do you remember how, on training days, Miss Vanya and Miss Vivian were separated from the rest of you?" Klaus nodded.

"They didn't have powers, there was no point in them training. What does that have to do with anything?"

Pogo sighed, and held out the folder. Klaus set the bottle on the balcony and took the papers, flipping through them with Ben reading on over his shoulder.

"They-" Pogo paused, then continued with more confidence. "Vivian has powers other than eternal youth. An accelerated healing rate, among other things. None were extremely noticeable or useful to Sir Hargreeves, so he had her memories of all her powers but her permanent youth wiped to protect her from doing anything reckless." Klaus sat down on a sofa, stunned, while Ben just glared at Pogo.

"Reckless? He sent her on missions with us thinking she had no powers! He's the damn reckless one!" Ben spat, and Klaus winced at the anger in his brother's usually calm voice.

"How did we not notice that she had actual powers?" he asked as Ben plopped down on the sofa beside him. The ghost let his head fall back upon the pillows as Pogo responded.

"She was only badly hurt once."

"But she was hurt when we were six and when we were eight, and unless I can't do basic math, which is actually pretty possible, that's twice." Klaus pointed out.

"When you were eight, she died before we got her to Grace." 

Klaus got up, walked to the balcony, and chugged the significant amount of alcohol still left in the bottle. He wasn't drunk enough to deal with what Pogo was saying.

"Does that mean she'll come back this time?" Ben asked, but got no response, because he was still dead and was only able to be heard by Klaus. He "Ask him, dufus!" Klaus set down the bottle and repeated Ben's question.

"Yes. At least, I believe so. From what Sir Hargreeves recorded in his files, it only took a few hours for a heartbeat to return, and a few more for her to regain consciousness. She'll be weak, but alive."

"And why, dearest Pogo, did you not tell us this when she first died?" Klaus' voice rose, and the chimpanzee looked ashamed.

"Tell us what?" Diego appeared from the staircase, walking over to stand with the two.

"Hello my beloved brother, I am not dead, and neither is our sister." Klaus, who was feeling much better about life due to the fact that only two of the three people he was closest to were dead, smiled at him.

"Not funny, Klaus."

Diego sent his brother a glare, then went to go back down the stairs.

"Master Klaus is correct, Miss Vivian is not permanently dead."

Diego stormed back to Pogo, fists clenched, and shouted, "I would have expected this from Klaus. He dealt with Ben in the same way. But you? You have no excuse."

"Miss Vivian has more powers than just forever being a teenager. Her body can heal itself through everything that has been tested against it, and that includes death." Diego scoffed, turning back towards the stairs.

"Next you're gonna tell me that Vanya has powers!" He called over his shoulder, taking the steps two at a time.

"Diego! Christ," Klaus moaned, rubbing his face. As his brother got farther away, he realized he wasn't going to stop and grabbed the folder, hurrying after after him. "This isn't a joke. Look!" He thrust the file at him. The man barely took a glance at the papers before throwing them down.

"I'll believe it when I see her moving and breathing. Now get out of my way, I'm gonna go kick the asses of the bastards that did this to her and Eudora." Diego shoved Klaus to the side, but he just stumbled slightly and jogged after him to catch up.

"I'll come with."

"No, Klaus."

"I won't get in your way, promise."

"I severely doubt that."

"Hey, just stay here for a minute, let me get some things."

Klaus darted back up the stairs and off towards his room. Diego pondered leaving him, then sighed and leaned up against a column. It would be good to have backup to let the others know if he died.